York9 FC, HFX Wanderers FC and Cavalry FC advance to the second round

York9 FC, HFX Wanderers FC and Cavalry FC have all advanced to the second round of the 2019 Canadian Championship. York9 FC have advanced to meet FC Edmonton, HFX Wanderers FC of Halifax have advanced to meet Valour FC of Winnipeg, and Cavalry FC of Calgary have advanced to meet Forge FC of Hamilton.

This marks the first year that the expanded Canadian Championship features 13 teams across five rounds, with the two-leg Qualifying Round 1 played 15 and 22 May. The two-leg Qualifying Round 2 will played across back-to-back midweek matches on 4-5 June and 12 June.

HFX Wanderers FC of the Canadian Premier League and Vaughan Azzurri of League1 Ontario scored three goals each across the two-leg series, but the HFX Wanderers advanced on account of their three away goals in the first leg. The HFX Wanderers won the first leg away 3:2, but lost the second leg at home 0:1. In the second leg, it was a Ryan Raposo shot that found the back of the net, albeit it was recorded as an won goal after the goalkeeper mishandled the ball.

York9 FC of the Canadian Premier League won their series 1-0 over AS Blainville of the Première ligue de soccer du Québec. Ryan Telfer scored the lone goal of the series in the second leg at York Stadium, a second-half tap in after an Erwann Ofouya save on a Simon Adjei shot.

Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League won their series 4-1 over Pacific FC, also from the same league. The Calgary team won their away leg 2:0 on 15 May and then their home leg 2:1 on 22 May. In the second leg, Calgary took the lead on a Pacific FC own goal before Julian Büscher made it 2-0; Marcus Haber then replied for Pacific FC.

About the Canadian Championship

The Canadian Championship is Canada Soccer’s highest domestic professional soccer competition and is the sole qualification route for Canadian professional clubs into Concacaf Champions League and onto the FIFA Club World Cup.

Dubbed the Battle of the North, the Championship sets itself apart from all North American professional sports competitions that operate on both sides of the border as the only one to hold an all-Canadian competition that leads to the international stage.

Canadian content is a focus of the competition and since 2017, regulations state that each team must field a minimum of three eligible Canadian Internationals as starters for each match.

In 2019, the Canadian Championship will feature 13 teams including three Major League Soccer clubs, Toronto FC, Montréal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps FC; United Soccer League’s Ottawa Fury FC; seven Canadian Premier League clubs, FC Edmonton, Forge FC, Valour FC, Cavalry FC, HFX Wanderers FC, Pacific FC, and York9 FC; Première ligue du Soccer de Québec’s AS Blainville; and League1 Ontario champions Vaughan Azzurri.

The Voyageurs Cup has been awarded to the Canadian Championship winner since 2008. Created by the Voyageurs Canadian Supporters group, the trophy represents Canadian fans’ commitment to the game in our country. The George Gross Memorial Trophy recognises the Canadian Championship’s Most Valuable Player, with Jonathan Osorio the 2018 winner. The award is named after the late George Gross, an honoured member of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. New in 2019, the Best Young Canadian Player Award recognises the player 21 years or younger who makes the biggest impact in the Canadian Championship.